Pathological Findings in Two Fin Whales (Balaenoptera Physalus) with Evidence of Morbillivirus Infection

peer reviewed Two immature female fin whales stranded on the Belgian and French coastlines, were examined post mortem. The main gross findings were massive parasitic infestation, associated with a large thrombus in one whale, and severe emaciation. Microscopical investigations revealed multinucleate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Comparative Pathology
Main Authors: Jauniaux, Thierry, Charlier, G., Desmecht, M., Haelters, J., Jacques, T., Losson, Bertrand, Van Gompel, J., Tavernier, J., Coignoul, Freddy
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: W. B. Saunders Co. 2000
Subjects:
Life sciences
Veterinary medicine & animal health
Sciences du vivant
Médecine vétérinaire & santé animale
Balaenoptera physalus
baleen whales
Online Access:https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/27841
https://doi.org/10.1053/jcpa.2000.0395
Description
Summary:peer reviewed Two immature female fin whales stranded on the Belgian and French coastlines, were examined post mortem. The main gross findings were massive parasitic infestation, associated with a large thrombus in one whale, and severe emaciation. Microscopical investigations revealed multinucleated syncytia with large intranuclear inclusion bodies in various tissues, and positive immunolabelling for morbillivirus antigens. Other evidence of morbillivirus infection was provided by the demonstration of specific viral structures in syncytia and in cell cultures, and the detection of neutralizing antibodies to canine distemper virus. To the authors>> knowledge, this is the first firm report of morbillivirus infection in baleen whales.

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